Gendered jobs and occupational prestige in Turkey: Women in the hierarchy elevator

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe success of women in traditionally male disciplines of higher education is not correspondingly reflected in their employment in high-prestige male-dominated jobs in Turkey and this paper seeks to understand the individual level factors that have influenced women’s limited presence in these, particularly in relation to their household- and family-related responsibilities from the 1980s to the 2000s and with reference to current patterns. The term “hierarchy elevator” is introduced to describe and elaborate how horizontal gender segregation intersects with vertical gender segregation as both create disadvantages for women in the job market, considering that their representation is limited in traditionally male jobs and prestigious jobs. Using ordered logistic regressions, this paper demonstrates that being highly educated reinforces women’s career trajectories in high-prestige male-dominated jobs in Turkey, while married women are largely excluded from these. Those who have one child compared to none are more likely to attain these jobs, while having two or more children impedes their labor market outcomes in these positions. This finding can be associated with the expanded financial resources of the few women who work in high-prestige male-dominated jobs for being able to afford childcare, and who may also prefer to have just one child each in order to maintain their status in these demanding jobs.